Musical Notes
by SKRoberts
Summary: After a near-death experience forces MacGyver to take a vacation in Florida with Sam, the duo meet up with a young musician. When her life is threatened, father and son step in to help, being again embroiled in danger. (Check header info for more)


Title: Musical Notes  
Author: Sarah K. Roberts (S.K.Roberts)  
Main Character(s): MacGyver and Sam  
Date Completed: September 2002  
Category: Action, Drama  
Summary: After a near-death experience forces MacGyver to take a vacation in Florida with Sam, the duo meet up with a young musician. When her life is threatened, father and son step in to help, being again embroiled in danger.  
Setting: Post-Series  
Spoilers: Through "The Stringer"

In Memory: This story is dedicated to my late great-grandmother Sarah Marguerite Tyson, my namesake and musical influence. She passed in mid 2001, but she will not be forgotten.

Disclaimer: This story is not meant to infringe on rights of Paramount or anything else associated with _MacGyver_. This is not for profit and purely for enjoyment. All characters of _MacGyver_ were borrowed and then returned, unharmed and unchanged at the end, with their dignity intact. (All original characters belong to Sarah K. Roberts.) Any similarity between this story and an already existing fan fiction, is purely coincidental. Enjoy!

_**Musical Notes**_

_LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 2002_

_MAY 3_

"Hey, Dad, you home?" Sam yelled as he knocked on the door to his father's apartment.

"Yeah, Sam. Come in!" MacGyver shouted over his shoulder as he dipped a plate into the soapy dishwater in his sink.

Sam opened the door and entered, carrying a handful of mail. "I got your mail for you," he said placing the pile on the table in front of the sofa.

"Thanks. Anything important or just bills?" Mac asked as he continued his work.

"Let's see," Sam said to himself as he leaned forward and picked up the pile, setting it in his lap as he leaned back on the sofa. "Bill, bill, junk mail, junk mail, bill-- Hey, do you consider a Fifty-Percent Off Sale on curtains important?" Sam asked jokingly.

MacGyver just looked at his son with a raised eyebrow. Sam smiled as he turned back to the mail. He flipped through some more junk mail before a lavender-colored envelope with attractive hand-written words caught his eye. He looked at the return address. "Hmmm... Dad, there's an envelope here for you from Kaela Sloan. It looks like an invitation of some sort," he said as he waved it for his father to see.

"Kaela Sloan?" Mac questioned, searching his memory for a face to match the name. "Oh, Kaela... the oboe player we met in Florida a few years ago, right?" Mac dried his hands and walked over to where Sam was sitting.

"That's the only Kaela Sloan I know," he said, handing the envelope to his father.

MacGyver carefully opened the delicate seal and removed the envelope's contents. "_Dear Mr. MacGyver_," he began reading, "_I would be honored if you could attend a performance of mine scheduled for May 17th, 2002 in Los Angeles, California. If your son Sam is available, the invitation extends to him, as well. For further details, please contact the telephone number below. I hope you both will be able to attend. Please let me know. Sincerely, Kaela Sloan._"

"Wow, Kaela Sloan. We haven't heard from her in a few years. How old would she be now...? Around 26?" Sam asked.

"Let's see; she was 18 in '94. Yeah, that sounds right," Mac said to Sam. "Hmmm... I'm free on the 17th. How about you?"

"Yeah. I'd love to go. She was good when we saw her last performance; she has to be even better now."

"Yeah. I'll call her and let her know we're both coming," Mac said as he reached for the phone.

"You know she almost had her last concert eight years ago. Thanks to you, she is still able to perform," Sam commented. "I still remember when we first met her. Do you?"

"How can I forget?" Mac commented. "It all started with that time I went undercover for a friend of mine..."

_LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 1994_

That little voice within MacGyver's mind that seemed to always ask 'how do I get myself into these situations?'was asking that very question at the moment. His hands were bound behind him and he was on his side on the floor of a boat that was traveling to some unknown destination, which most likely entailed death. Unfortunately, he saw no immediate way to escape, especially since his captors had found his Swiss Army knife and confiscated it. He had been undercover for the past week to find out who was behind the recent demolitions of the boats of a business owned by a good friend. Regrettably, the ones behind the destruction of the boats had discovered his true identity, resulting in his present situation. The boat he was now on had departed from the port only a short time ago, but it felt like an eternity to MacGyver -- who was really wondering if he would make it out of this alive. Still on the floor, obscured from view -- his view being obscured as well -- he felt the boat slow to a stop. The driver of the vessel picked up a duffle bag and unzipped it, then pulled out a chunk of C-4 with a timer attached to it with wires of various colors.

The goon walked over to MacGyver and crouched down, holding the bomb in front of him. "Well, Mr. MacGyver, you'd better prepare yourself for a very _explosive _ending. With this bomb, I can get rid of you and make it look like you were the one behind the explosions the whole time. Mr. Calvin is going to be so distraught when he finds out that his close friend MacGyver was behind the attacks on his ships, and he'll be more astonished to find that you accidentally killed yourself while setting a bomb on one of the boats. He might even be upset enough to kill himself," he said in an arrogant tone.

"Calvin is too smart to think that I'm the one behind all this. We've been friends too long for him to think otherwise. Whatever you try to do, you won't get away with it," MacGyver retorted, trying not to sound clichéd.

"Well, we'll just have to worry about that after someone puts out the flames," he said roughly as he turned away and set the bomb in place.

_How are these goons going to get off of this boat before they blow it? _MacGyver asked himself. With remarkable timing, the answer presented itself. Another boat quickly pulled up and came to a stop. The goon who had spoken to MacGyver greeted the man on the vessel and then set the timer on the bomb -- for 5 minutes, MacGyver noticed. Then he and the other man got on the other boat.

"So long, Mr. MacGyver!" the leader yelled before the boat sped away.

"Okay, MacGyver, think of something!" he yelled out loudly to himself while looking around for something to cut the ropes that bound him. He spotted a compartment on the side of the boat. Hoping there was something there he could use, he quickly inched his way over to it. Carefully, he bent his legs and brought his bound hands in front of him. After sitting himself up, he opened the compartment and rummaged through lifejackets, oars, ropes, and other boating accoutrements. Finally, he came across something of use... a knife. Glancing at the timer on the bomb while cutting his ropes, he noticed the time left was only 3 minutes and 23 seconds... **22... 21... 20...**

MacGyver leapt over to the bomb to see if there was a way that he could disarm it. "Awe, man!" he muttered out loud while examining it. There seemed to be no way he could keep it from exploding with the little time he had left. The timer read 2 minutes and 58 seconds... **57... 56... 55... **_Well, at least I'm not going to let them get away_! he said to himself as he went over to the steering wheel, cranked up the engine, and pursued the trio of goons. Luckily for him, they had not traveled too far, so it was not too hard to catch them.

One of the bad guys turned back, expecting to soon see a large fireball, but was startled to find the boat -- with the bomb onboard -- coming toward him and his counterparts. "Uh... Frank!" he yelled to the driver, trying to get the head goon's attention.

"What?" Frank yelled back.

"Frank, we have a problem!" he yelled, pointing behind at the approaching marine vessel driven by MacGyver.

"Is he crazy? He's going to kill us all!" Frank commented. "Don't just sit there! Do something! Shoot him!" The other two men pulled out their guns and fired at the seemingly crazed prisoner. MacGyver easily dodged the bullets as they zipped by. There was very little time before the bomb would explode... 2 minutes and 20 seconds... **19... 18... 17... **MacGyver was steadily gaining on them, despite their efforts.

Two minutes later, MacGyver came close to catching up with the villains, but suddenly, a stray bullet struck the engine of the boat Mac was driving, causing the craft to smoke and begin to resist MacGyver's control. He glanced at the timer -- 20 seconds left and counting. He quickly set the boat on its top speed, secured the wheel with some of the rope from the side compartment, and dove off the side into the cold, churning water. **10... 9... 8...**

The goons saw the boat speeding toward them. Yelling, they all quickly dove off the side of their own boat, seconds before the two vessels collided... **5... 4... 3... **Anticipating the explosion, MacGyver quickly dove under the surface of the water to protect himself from the blast as best he could... **2... 1... 0... _KABOOM!_**

Even under the water, Mac could hear the roar of the conflagration. The shock wave was strong and violent, tossing and turning MacGyver like a speck of dust in a puddle of rainwater.

After only a few minutes of being submerged, Mac resurfaced, deeply inhaling a breath of air, despite the smell of smoke. Regaining his bearings, he peered at the flaming mess that was formally two boats. He looked around quickly, trying to find survivors. A short distance away, he saw the three men flailing about, treading water.

"Man, I _really_ need a vacation!" the troubleshooter said out loud to himself while paddling to keep himself afloat. He quickly swam to the nearest shore -- which was luckily not too far off -- to get assistance in retrieving the bad guys.

_FOUR DAYS LATER, AT THE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN MIAMI, FLORIDA..._

The heart of one Alex Canter was beating rapidly as though it would jump out of his chest at any moment as he walked quickly along the heavily populated hallway to the luggage area. Two muscular men with firearms -- ready to be drawn at a second's notice -- were pursuing Mr. Canter, unknown to the people around him. He hurried along, ducking in and out of large crowds in an effort to elude his followers.

Meanwhile, a young 18-year-old girl had just cleared customs and was making her way to pick up her luggage. She was a comely young lady with lovely reddish-brown hair that curled under just at her shoulders. Her eyes were a penetrating dark brown and her skin was milky. Not anemic looking, just the look of one who doesn't feel compelled to go outdoors often. Together they gave her face the look of a China Doll. She was about average height with what her mother called a womanly figure, wearing a long dark colored coat. Setting down her small carry-on bag that she carried on her shoulder, she positioned herself carefully so that she could easily get to her luggage as it passed by on the conveyor belt.

Alex Canter's brow was sweating heavily. The goons were closing in. He had no other alternative but to remove what the men were after from his person and hide it somewhere so they would hopefully not find it. Desperately, he looked towards the conveyor belt. Upon spying a small black case, he ran over and grabbed it, hoping the owner was not around to follow his actions. He quickly hid himself in a crowd of people, who were all looking at the conveyor rather than him. He unzipped the soft case, finding within a hard case that seemed to house a musical instrument of some kind. Quickly, he opened it and peered inside, seeing a black instrument with silver keys that looked strange to him. To his unfamiliar eyes, this object was nothing more than a piece of wood and some metal thrown together. However, to its owner, this was a work of art in its own way... it was an oboe. Only taking a quick glance at the contents, he searched the case for a pocket or compartment. Feeling around the padded interior, he discovered that the bottom part -- the part which held the instrument itself -- was removable. Pulling it out of the case, he saw that there was a compartment that seemed to be used to store sheet music. Frantically, he removed an envelope from his jacket pocket, put it in the compartment, put the bottom back in place, closed both cases, and made his way back to the conveyor belt. As he sent it back on its way to its owner, he noticed the nametag for the first time: _Kaela Sloan_. After he saw it was on its way, he turned behind him and looked for his pursuers.

"Phil! Look, there he is!" one of the goons said to the other. Canter saw them and tried to flee once again.

"He's getting away! You go after him, and I'll get that case he just had! He might have stashed the envelope in it," Phil said. The other man, who was slightly shorter than Phil, followed his instructions. Phil proceeded to the conveyor belt.

While all of this was happening, the young lady with the face of a China Doll gathered all of her belongings except for one item. She did not notice Phil searching for something as well. Right as he was about to pick up the case that Mr. Canter had handled, a dainty hand grabbed the strap of the case and picked it up. Upon checking the nametag and seeing that it was hers, she picked up all of her belongings and began to walk to the exit doors. Seeing her pick up the case, Phil halted and camouflaged himself in the crowd so that she would not notice him. Not too long afterwards, the other man returned to Phil's side.

"Sorry, Phil, but he disappeared! I lost him!" the man reported regretfully. "Mr. Larsen is not going to be happy about this."

"Don't worry, Jim. I think I know where the envelope is," Phil said as he eyed the young Kaela Sloan holding the black case, unaware of what had been placed within. "He did something to that case; he might just be smart enough to have put it in there. We have to follow her and find out who she is. We're going to get that envelope back! Come on, let's go!" The two then proceeded to follow her as she got into a cab and departed from the airport.

_A FEW HOURS LATER, AT THE SHERIDAN HOTEL..._

MacGyver and Sam were waiting in line to check into their rooms. After his recent brush with death, MacGyver was very serious about taking a vacation and getting away from the dangers of troubleshooting. He could not think of anything more pleasant than spending the time with his son, so Mac decided to come along with Sam on an assignment in Florida.

"Next, please!" called the attendant at the front desk.

"That's us, Dad," Sam said as he bent down and picked up his luggage; MacGyver did the same.

"We have reservations for A. MacGyver and Sam Malloy," Mac informed the attendant.

The young man typed the names into the computer. "Ah, yes. Here you are. Your rooms are on the third floor -- room 324 and 326. Here are your keys. If you need anything, just call the front desk. We hope you have a pleasant stay!" the young man said.

"Thanks," Mac replied as he accepted the keys. He and Sam then gathered their luggage and moved out of the way so that the next person in line could be served.

"So, what do you want to do after we get settled in?" Sam asked his father as they headed toward the elevator.

"After that flight, all I want is a nice hot shower and a nap," MacGyver replied.

"You came all the way to Florida just to take a nap?" Sam asked.

"Hey, you asked what I wanted to do!" Mac said as he pushed the button on the control panel to go up. Soon the doors opened and they both stepped inside.

"Spoil sport," Sam said as he pushed the button for the third floor.

"Just wait 'til you get 44 years old and see how you feel after a long flight!" Mac retorted. The doors closed with the conversation continuing throughout the ride to the third floor as well as the walk to their rooms.

"Do you have a room preference?" Mac asked his son as he held up the keys.

"Hmmm... Well, I've always liked numbers divisible by three," he said as he took the key to room 324 from his father.

MacGyver smiled as he walked to his room, which was only a short distance from Sam's. He unlocked the door, entered, and observed the room. _Nice place _he said to himself. He placed his baggage on the bed and looked at the room in detail. The bed was sitting against the far right wall, facing the left wall. Small dressers were positioned on either side of the bed and a large one was flush with the left wall. The room even had a small refrigerator near the door leading to the bathroom. There were also large double doors on the wall opposite the entrance door that led to a balcony. He went out on the balcony for a moment to peer across the rippling ocean waves. It was a magnificent view, but he soon went back into the room.

"Hey, Dad. Unlock your door!" Mac heard Sam say as he knocked. His voice wasn't coming from the door MacGyver had entered from, but rather from a door along the left wall that separated the two rooms. Mac did as his son had asked and opened the door. "I'm going to go down to the beach for a while. Are you sure you don't want to come?" Sam asked his father.

"I'm sure. Have fun," Mac replied.

"Okay. See you later," Sam said finally as he picked up one of the hotel towels and shut the door. Soon, Mac heard the hallway door to Sam's room shut. _Time to get my things in place _he said to himself a short time later. After he had stored all of his clothing in the dressers, he went over to the small refrigerator to see if there was anything of interest. Apart from the usual alcoholic beverages -- which MacGyver did not care for -- there was also an assortment of soft drinks and juices. _Hmmm... Apple juice looks good _he said to himself. He had his beverage, now he needed some ice, so he went into the bathroom, grabbed the ice bucket, and left the room to go in search of an ice machine. He went through hallways and turned corners that seemed to be endless before he finally came upon it. "Ah, _there_ you are!" he said out loud when he found it.

"Beg pardon, but were you talking to me?" a young, feminine voice said. It was coming from somewhere to MacGyver's right.

"Oh. No, no. I was, uh, talking to the ice machine," he said with an embarrassed grin.

"Oh, okay. I'm sorry to have disturbed you," the young woman replied. She looked a little troubled.

"No problem at all. Uh, I don't mean to pry, but are you all right? You seem to be a little distressed," he asked her as he scooped some ice into the bucket he was holding.

"I have been walking around this floor for at least ten minutes, and I can't seem to find my room!" she said. "And I just got off a plane and need some sleep."

"Ah, same here. This place is so big it took me a while to find the ice machine," Mac commented. "May I ask your room number? Maybe I can help you find it."

"Oh, would you? That would be a great help!" she said as she set her suitcase down to show him her key. "I'm looking for room 325."

"Hey, that's right across the hall from my room. Interesting. Just follow me, and I'll show you right where it is," he said smiling. "Do you need help with your luggage?"

"Oh, thank you. You're very nice."

MacGyver tucked the bucket of ice under his arm, bent down, and picked up her suitcase. The young woman carried her other two belongings herself. As Mac led her to her room, he noticed the nametag on her bag. "_Kaela Sloan_. Is that you?" Mac asked curiously.

"Yes," she said smiling.

"It's a very pretty name, if I may say so," Mac commented. He noticed her blush slightly. "I'm MacGyver, by the way."

"Just _MacGyver_?" she inquired.

"Oh, you don't want to know my first name... Ah, here's your room," he said, quickly changing the subject.

"Thank you, again, Mr. MacGyver," she said. "It was a real pleasure to meet you."

"Same here. Maybe we'll see each other again," he said as he handed the suitcase to her.

"I will look forward to it," she said as she took it from him, smiling. She unlocked her door and went inside, saying farewell before closing it.

"Bye!" Mac said as he half-waved and walked back to his room, the ice bucket still in hand. _Nice girl _he said to himself as he reentered his room.

After a few hours of resting, Sam awakened MacGyver and they both went down to the restaurant for dinner. Once there, the aromas from the kitchen made Mac's nose tingle with delight. "Mmmm... Something smells good," he commented. Sam shook his head in agreement as the two came upon a man standing behind a pedestal.

"Hello, gentlemen. How many in your party?" the polite elderly man asked.

"Just the two of us," MacGyver answered.

"All right," he said as he picked up two menus. "Follow me, please." He sat the two at a table near the middle of the dining hall. "A server will be with you in just a moment to take your beverage orders."

"Thank you," Sam said as he and his father sat down. Once the attendant had gone back to his pedestal, Sam commented, "Nice place, don't you think?"

"Yes, very nice, though a little too extravagant for me," Mac answered.

"Oh, come on. We're on vacation. It's time to treat ourselves," Sam said. "And my boss is picking up the tab, so why not enjoy it while it lasts?!"

Mac just smiled as he looked at the menu. "So, what's this assignment about?"

"Oh, nothing much. This guy back in California wants pictures of as many flowers or plants I can take so he can compare them to the flowers and plants in California. He's some sort of botanist working on a paper or something and he doesn't have the resources to travel here himself, so he asked my boss for help, and he gave me the job. I'll start taking the pictures tomorrow. You ready to order?"

"Yeah," Mac answered. Their server appeared and their dinner was soon on its way. Mac and Sam conversed easily as they ate. Afterwards, they both returned to their rooms to make plans and get ready for the upcoming day.

The night passed and the morning came with light cascading over the land like a blanket. Sam gathered all of his camera equipment and went to the room-dividing door. "Hey, Dad! You ready to go?" he called from his side.

"Ready," he said as he opened the door. Sam entered his father's room, closed his own door, and exited through room 326, with MacGyver following close behind.

As they walked down the hall of descending room numbers to the elevator, Mac saw a familiar face turn the corner and head in his direction.

"Good morning, Miss Sloan. Did you have a good night?" MacGyver asked when she came near.

"Oh, hello, Mr. MacGyver. Yes, I had a great night's sleep. How are you today?" she asked.

"I'm just fine. Oh, Sam, this is Kaela Sloan. She is roomed right across from us. Kaela, this is my son, Sam," he introduced them to each other.

"It's a pleasure, Sam," Kaela said politely as she shook his hand.

"The feeling is mutual," Sam replied with a smile.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I have to be somewhere in about half an hour, and I need to get ready. Maybe we can chat later?" Kaela asked respectfully.

"Sure. We're only a few feet away!" MacGyver said.

"Oh, good. Bye!" she said smiling as she continued down the hall to her room.

"Bye," MacGyver said as he half-waved.

"She's nice," Sam commented as he watched her walk away.

"Yeah. I met her yesterday when I went to get some ice," Mac stated as they continued to the elevator. Soon, a man in a white jacket pushing a cart passed by the two as they walked. The man seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary in a hotel, so Mac had no reason to be suspicious of him or his actions.

Kaela reached her room door, opened it, and went in. Moments later, there was a knock at her door. Upon opening it, she saw the white-jacketed man presenting a cart with food on it. "Room Service, Miss."

"That's strange. I didn't order anything," she said to him, slightly confused.

"Oh, it's complementary from the Sheridan Hotel," he said.

"Oh, well that's thoughtful. Please come in," she said smiling at the man, shutting the door once he was inside. She did not realize that he had actually first seen her at the airport. The man in white was Jim.

Sam and MacGyver had just entered the elevator and were about to descend when Sam realized he had forgotten something. "Whoa! Wait a minute!" he said grabbing the doors right as they were about to close. He quickly checked his pockets and realized he was missing his wallet. "I forgot my wallet! It has my boss's checkbook in it. We might need it for something!"

"Well, we better go back and get it," his father said back. The two exited, letting the doors close without passengers, and walked back down the hallway to their rooms.

"Just put the cart over there, please," Kaela said to the man. She turned her back to him so that she could set the dress she had been holding on the bed. "I was just getting my clothes ready for today--" she said as she turned to him, suddenly gasping. Her eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat at what she saw.

Jim stood there, aiming a gun right at her chest. "If you cooperate, you won't be hurt. Just tell me where the case is," he said in a semi-rough tone.

"Wha-what case?" she asked excitedly.

"The small black one you had at the airport yesterday!"

"The airport?" she inquired. "How'd you know I was at the airport? Is someone playing a joke on me, because if they are, it's _not_ funny!"

"This is no joke! Give me the case!" he yelled forcefully, threatening with his gun, though a little hesitant.

"No!" she said back bravely, her eyes beginning to fill with fearful tears. "I don't know what you want it for, but it's _mine_. You can't have it! No one could _pay_ me to give it up!"

"I'm warning you! If you don't give it to me, I'll take it anyway!"

"You may try, but I _won't_ tell you where it is!" she said emphatically. Kaela Sloan was not the kind of person who let people push her around. She did not respond to demands from anyone, even someone with a gun in hand. Though it was probably not the smartest course of action, she would not comply with this man. "And if you come near me, I'll scream so loudly that people on the tenth floor will be able to hear me!"

"Well, then, we are at an impasse. You won't give me the case, and I won't leave until I get it."

"Hey, _you _are the one who made the decision to try to take it from me. That was a mistake!" she said back.

Meanwhile, Sam was just shutting the door to his room, with MacGyver waiting outside. They were standing right next to the room where the confrontation was taking place, unaware that Kaela's life was being threatened.

"I got it," Sam said to his father. "Now, we can go!" The two began to walk down the hall, back to the elevator. Halfway there, a heart-stopping scream found its way to their ears, followed by an equally heart-stopping sound: a gunshot.

"That sounded like a gunshot!" MacGyver quickly said to Sam.

"It's somewhere on this floor!" Sam said back.

"This way!" Mac uttered, beginning to hurry back in the direction they had just come. Suddenly, the man in white they had seen earlier ran into view. Seeing Mac and Sam, he aimed the gun and fired. Though the weapon jammed, Mac's heart nearly stopped. Realizing the gun had not fired, Jim threw it down and quickly ran in the opposite direction. Sam dropped his bags and pursued. "_Sam!_" Mac called out when he saw his son sprint after the man; it was to no avail. Knowing he could not catch up with either of the two, Mac hurried to the door from which the man had exited. When he saw it was room 325, his pulse quickened. "Kaela?" he yelled as he looked around the room. He heard a small whimper come from the other side of the bed and rushed to it. Kaela was lying there, face down, with her arms shielding her head. "Kaela, are you okay?! It's me, MacGyver! Speak to me!" he called to her as he bent down.

"Is... it safe?" she said, her voice muffled and very frightened.

"Yes, darlin'. It's all right. You're safe now," he said, placing his hand on her back to comfort her. "Can you get up?"

"I... think so," she said as she shifted her arms off of her head and tried to lift herself up. Mac gently took hold of her shoulders and helped her. As she turned her face to him, he noticed a small bleeding cut on the right side of her forehead from the bullet that was discharged.

"Oh, geez. You're bleeding!" he said almost hysterically as he looked around for a cloth or something. Thinking quickly, he gently propped Kaela on the side of the bed and hurried into the bathroom, got a wash cloth, and ran back to her. Mac knelt back down to the floor, took her in his arms, placed her head gently on his chest, and put pressure on the cut with the cloth.

"MacGyver... h-he _shot_ me!" she said, her voice unstable, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You're okay, now; I've got you. I won't let him hurt you anymore," he said to her, holding her protectively.

Moments later, Sam entered the room, inhaling deeply from hurrying down the hall. "He got away," he said, then suddenly noticed his father and Kaela. "I'll call for help!" he said, hurrying to the phone.

"Help's on the way, Kaela. Just hold on," Mac whispered, rocking her back and forth to calm her down.

The ambulance that Sam had called soon arrived and medics loaded Kaela on a gurney, then wheeled her to the elevator. She was soon on her way to the hospital, with Mac and Sam by her side during the journey. As the vehicle moved along and Mac gazed at the resting young lady, he realized that something inside him clicked as he had held her in his arms. He hardly knew her, but his protective nature was especially active when he was around her now. She was a young lady no more than 20 years old who was staying at a hotel by herself, and though she was old enough to be out on her own, he wondered why she was there... and who tried to kill her.

After arriving at the hospital, a doctor soon came to patch up Kaela's wound. Mac and Sam stood in the background to let the doctor work, and when he was gone, they came near and stood by her. "Are you all right?" Sam asked.

"I will be. I just need time to get over what's happened," she replied.

"Kaela, do you have any idea why someone tried to kill you?" MacGyver asked.

"It was an accident. He threatened to shoot me if I didn't give him my case, but I wouldn't give it to him. I told him I'd scream if he came near me. Well, he came near me, I screamed, and he got startled and fired the gun. If I hadn't ducked, he might have... killed me," she said, the last few words were soft, as though she was suddenly hit with the reality of what might have happened.

"What case and why would he want it?" Sam asked.

"I have no idea why he would want it. It's just my oboe," she said.

"Oboe?" Sam asked.

"It's the musical instrument I play in the orchestra that is scheduled to perform tomorrow night," she said. "Oh, my gosh! I have to call the conductor and tell him what happened!" she said, standing up quickly. She suddenly grabbed her head and started to become limp.

MacGyver quickly caught her before she fell to the floor. "Take it easy, Kaela. You've been hurt and you need to rest. You can call him later, okay?"

"Okay, I think you're right," she said softly, sitting herself back down, with Mac and Sam by her side.

"Is that why you are staying at the hotel, because you have a performance soon?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered, trying to regain her bearings. "But why did he want my oboe so badly that he was willing to shoot me?"

"I don't know, Kaela," MacGyver said. After hesitating for a few moments, he continued, "but I'm willing to help you find out."

"You are...? Why? You hardly know me," she said.

"Helping people happens to be what I do. If you want me to, I _will_ help you," MacGyver said, knowing he would probably be -- yet again -- putting himself in danger, but he thought Kaela was worth the risk.

"I have no way to repay you," she said.

"If you let me tag along when you go to one of your rehearsals, I think that will be payment enough," he said smiling.

"I don't know what to say," she said emotionally, looking into his dark eyes. "Thank you!"

Mac looked back at her, smiling. She was almost in tears. "It's my pleasure."

Soon the doctor came back in and told Kaela she could be released from the hospital. MacGyver drove her and Sam back to the hotel in Sam's rental car.

Kaela unlocked her room door and entered. "The police told me the room was clear and we could look around."

"Okay. Where should we start looking?" Sam asked.

"I think we need to examine your instrument case to see if we can find anything the shooter might want," MacGyver said, hinting for Kaela to get it.

"I put it in the dresser drawer," Kaela said as she walked over to it, retrieved the case, and returned to the two. "I can't think of anything he'd want so badly to try to take my case by force," she said, placing the case on the bed. All three sat on the bed as Kaela opened it carefully and examined her oboe.

"Does anything look out of place?" Sam asked.

"No. Nothing," Kaela said, looking through the contents of the upper pocket of the case. She lifted the bottom and looked in the sheet music compartment. "What in the world is that?" she asked removing the envelope.

"By your tone, I take it that it's something out of place," MacGyver said.

"I don't know where it came from or how it could have gotten in there!" Kaela said almost excitedly.

"What is it?" Sam asked as his father took the envelope from Kaela. Mac carefully opened it and removed its contents.

"Pictures... of a man with three other guys," Mac said, looking through the several photographs.

"May I see?" Sam asked, reaching out his hand. Mac handed him and Kaela some of the pictures.

"This older man looks familiar," Kaela said, pointing to the man in the picture.

"Yeah, he does," Mac agreed.

"Whoever he is, he's into something very _bad_," Sam said, a hint of worry in his tone. He showed the two one of the pictures in his hand. One of the four men in the earlier pictures was sprawled across the ground, seemingly dead. Kaela and Mac both looked at it with worried expressions.

Kaela gasped. "I recognize him now! A few weeks ago, a man was shot in an alley here in Miami, and a man named Bartholomew Larsen was arrested for the crime. Later, he got let out on bail because he had an alibi. The case is still going on, but if the prosecution doesn't get any hard evidence soon, he'll be acquitted! This story has been all over the news! The older man **_is_** Bartholomew Larsen! And by looking at these pictures, he really did kill that man. Look, the pictures are even time-stamped with the date it occurred!" Kaela explained quickly.

"That would explain why someone would be so desperate to get them back. Someone must have taken the pictures, or stole and hid them in your oboe case to keep them away from the guys in the pictures. Is there anywhere you went where someone could have gotten hold of your case without your knowledge?" Mac asked her quickly.

"The only places I have been have been the hotel, the hospital, and the airport," Kaela said, the last few words slowed as though she were remembering something. "When he asked me for the case, he mentioned the airport. That has to be where the envelope got placed in my case! That was the only time it was ever out of my site, when I was getting my luggage from the pick-up area!"

"That has to be it," Sam said. "But who stashed them?" Mac shrugged his shoulders.

"Wait a minute! I know this man, too," she said quickly, pointing at the smallest of the four men. "He was the man who tried to get my case. He's the one who shot me!"

"Kaela, this is very serious stuff. Someone went to great lengths to try to get these pictures to the authorities. And if a murderer is involved, these guys could try anything to get these back. We need to go to the police!" MacGyver said.

"But if we go to the police, they will never let me perform! I am one of only two oboes in the whole orchestra and can't be replaced. My partner doesn't know all my parts. I can't let the rest of the members down. They need me. This is what I live for!" Kaela said pleadingly, standing up quickly. She was serious about her craft, and she would not let _anything_ come between it -- not even when her life was threatened.

Suddenly, Kaela grabbed her head and started to become limp. MacGyver threw the pictures on the bed quickly and caught her... again. "Kaela, take it easy. Don't get excited. You'll just hurt yourself more," he said, resting her head on his cheat and lowering her to the bed. "Please, for _my_ sake, slow down!"

She sat up slowly. "Okay, MacGyver. For _your_ sake," she said, looking at him with glassy eyes.

"Sam, I think we should leave and let Kaela get some sleep," Mac said to his son.

"I think that's a good idea," Sam said back, gathering the pictures and returning them to the envelope.

"But--" she tried to object, but Mac quickly placed his hand over her mouth.

"No, no... We'll figure everything out later. Now, you rest," he said with a stern look.

"All right, all right! But I'm not even tired. I feel fine," she said, positioning herself at the head of the bed.

MacGyver picked up the oboe case and placed it in a nearby chair. "I think you should keep these," Sam said to his father as he handed him the envelope with the pictures. "Leaving them here will only put Kaela in danger."

"I agree," Mac said, taking it from him and putting it in his pocket. "We'll let her rest for a few hours and then try to figure out what our next move should be."

"I still have the photo shoot. It should be over in a few hours, and we could meet back here," Sam said.

"I think I'll stay here and keep an eye out on Kaela," he said looking over at her. Moments after her head hit the pillow, she was sound asleep. Though she did not want to admit it, she was exhausted. Mac could not help but smile at her determination, though it was not necessarily a good thing at times. "We'd better go," he whispered to Sam, gesturing in Kaela's direction. The two quietly moved toward the door and -- after MacGyver placed a blanket over Kaela's sleeping form -- exited, letting the young woman rest.

_TWO HOURS LATER..._

"Kaela?" Mac said as he softly knocked on her door. "You awake?"

"Yes, Mr. MacGyver. You may come in," he heard her say, her voice muffled by the door.

He entered quietly and shut the door behind him. Kaela was putting on her jewelry when he looked over at her, standing in front of the mirror above the dresser. There were items on her bed that indicated she was about to leave for somewhere. "Kaela, what are doing?"

"I'm getting ready to go. I have to be at rehearsal," she said, making sure the bandage on her forehead was secure.

"You're supposed to be taking it easy!" he said in a slightly worried tone.

"MacGyver, I promise you, I'm fine! I took a nap and feel much better. Now, I have to get to rehearsal if we are to make the performance date," she said to him, walking over to the bed.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked in a fatherly tone.

"I'm sure!" she said, taking her oboe case and purse from atop the bed. "If it will make you feel any better, you can come along with me."

"You mean it?" he asked.

"Of course. Come see why I love what I do so much!" she compelled.

"I'd love to," he said escorting her out of her room, a smile on his face.

Kaela and MacGyver quietly walked into the backstage area of the rehearsal hall. All of the musicians were assembling their instruments as the conductor collected the musical scores on his podium. Frequently, a group of notes could be heard as the performers warmed-up to make sure that each instrument was working as it should. Mac peered through the curtains of the stage. The theater was enormous, with seemingly endless seats spread throughout the audience area. It was magnificent. He was highly impressed that Kaela would be involved in an orchestra that would perform here.

Kaela noticed that MacGyver was gawking. "Impressive, isn't it?" she said.

"That's an understatement!" he said as he looked around.

"Kaela, what in the world are you doing here?" someone from behind the two said. "I thought you were still at the hospital!"

The two turned around to find that it was Erik Reede, Kaela's conductor, who was speaking. "They released me a few hours ago," she said.

"You shouldn't be _here _though. You've been through an ordeal! You should be at your hotel resting!" he said in a soft tone.

"I have had about all the rest I can take. I came here to rehearse, and we perform tomorrow!" she pleaded.

"Are you sure playing won't be too painful? I don't want you to get hurt further," he said.

"Neither do I," Mac interrupted.

Reede looked at him with a confused expression. He obviously wondered who the man was.

"Oh, Mr. Reede, this is a friend of mine, MacGyver," Kaela said. "MacGyver, this is my orchestra conductor, Mr. Erik Reede."

"Nice to meet you," MacGyver said, shaking his hand.

"Same here," Reede answered back with a pleasant smile. "Now, Kaela, I don't want to argue. Let's make a deal. You can stay at the rehearsal, but you have to promise me that you will take it easy afterwards. I don't want to lose one of my oboes," he said back, a coercive smile upon his lips.

Kaela surrendered. So many people seemed to insist that she slow down to prevent further injury. Evidentially, they knew what they were talking about or they were just trying to get rid of her. She did not believe it was the latter. "Okay. I can live with that," she answered.

"All right," Reede said back. "We begin in a few minutes, so get set up."

"Okay," she answered back. She smiled as Reede walked away and was thankful that he cared for her enough to put up with her stubbornness.

"Where should I go?" Mac asked.

"I guess, just find a seat in the audience," she said.

"Okay. See you later," he said smiling as he began walking in that direction. Kaela watched as he left her side. _Mr. MacGyver, you are a very special man. Thank you for being here for me_ she said to herself, smiling as she turned to go to her seat.

A short time later, the rehearsal began. As the musicians played, MacGyver could not help but be caught up in the sweet intertwining of notes. Just listening to the musicians play was enough to make him slip into a state of calmness and serenity. _Oh, if only the whole world could hear this_ he said to himself. _There would be no more war or suffering_. Such a thought was far from reality, but if the music calmed the soul of just one person, why not everyone's one day? For the first time, he finally understood why Kaela had been so final in wanting to stay at rehearsal.

The rehearsal finally ended, and MacGyver walked up to Kaela -- who was disassembling her instrument and returning it to her case. "So, what did you think?" she asked.

"I only have one word: _wow_!" he answered. "I don't think I have ever heard such a wonderful sound before." He saw Kaela's face light up. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yep," she said, clicking the latches on her case. He took her arm as he half-waved to Reede to let him know they were leaving. Reede kindly waved back, somehow knowing she was in good hands while in MacGyver's company.

Mac drove Kaela back to the hotel. "Sam should be back at the hotel by now. Would you like to come with us to get something for dinner?" he asked her, hoping he was not crossing any lines of protocol.

"If you're sure you don't mind, I'd love to," she said back smiling as she held her oboe case in her lap.

_I don't think I've met anyone who smiles more than she does_ he said to himself. _That's certainly not a bad thing_.

He saw a stop light ahead and slowed the car to an easy stop. The light turned green, and he looked in the rearview mirror before proceeding. Suddenly, a car came up on him far too quickly. "Hold on!" he yelled to Kaela as he floored the accelerator. The vehicle jolted ahead like a spooked horse as Mac tried to avoid being hit from behind. The car immediately pursued.

"What's going on?!" Kaela asked quickly as she held the handle above her door.

"Someone is trying to run us down!" he said, turning onto another street quickly. The following car screeched as it turned onto the same street.

"What do they want?" she asked frantically.

"Probably the pictures in the envelope!" he guessed. He tried his best to escape by zigzagging down various streets.

Kaela noticed the skill in which he did so. "You've done this before, haven't you?" she asked. It was really more of a statement than a question.

"Yes. Too many times!" he answered back. Suddenly, the back windshield shattered. "They're shooting at us! Keep your head down!" he yelled, barely maintaining control of the car.

"Awe, man! The rental-car place is _never_going to believe _this_!" she said out loud, more to herself.

Suddenly, the car swerved uncontrollably. "They hit a tire! We need to find somewhere to pull over!" he said.

"That looks like an empty lot over there!" Kaela yelled, gesturing to the right. Somehow, they had been forced into the older part of town where the buildings were a little run-down and there were not too many people around. Mac quickly drove the car to the lot and tried to stop it as smoothly as possible. It was a little rough, but he managed to stop without hitting anything.

"Come on!" he said as he unbuckled his seatbelt -- which had come in quite handy.

Kaela unfastened herself as well and exited the vehicle with MacGyver. "Where are we going?"

"We need to hide. In here!" he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her behind him as he ran to an abandoned three-story building. She had an extremely tight grip on her instrument case. She would not leave it behind for anything.

Once inside, Mac quickly looked for something to barricade the door. No doubt the men would try to follow. He found some old furniture, packed it as tightly to the door as he could, and hurried up the stairs quickly, with Kaela only steps behind. They hurried to the upper-most floor and ran into the first room they came upon. Mac shut the door quickly after they had both entered and propped himself against it. "That blockade isn't going to hold for long. We don't have a lot of time," he said looking around the room. It was completely empty. There was no furniture, carpeting, pictures on the wall, nothing, only a lone window leading outside. "I can't believe this! We had to run into a room with absolutely nothing to use to help us escape!" he said in disbelief. He hurried over to the window and looked out. "Well, at least there's a fire escape," he said, trying to open the window. It would not budge. "But the window's painted shut!"

"Can we get it open somehow or break through?" Kaela asked quickly.

"Maybe, but we won't have enough time. They'll be here any second!" he said. "If I only had something to wedge between the door and the frame."

"What would you need?" she asked.

"Something small and stable, like a wedge of some kind," he answered.

Her eyes suddenly widened with excitement. She quickly bent down the floor and opened her oboe case, searching for something. She stood up quickly as soon as she found it. "Will this work?" she asked quickly, handing it to him. He took it from her and examined it. It was a slender metal tube about two and a half inches long, surrounded by a layer of cork on the lower inch and a half. Two carefully cut pieces of bamboo were tightly attached to the upper end with red string. MacGyver had never seen such a thing before. "It's one of my oboe reeds. I have others," Kaela said.

"This might just work!" he said, turning to the door. He broke off the bamboo and heard a gasp. He turned back to Kaela and saw her grimacing. _She must feel like I just killed her child_ he thought to himself. "I promise I'll buy you another one," he assured her. He quickly wedged the metal tube between the frame and the door. He tried to open the door, but it would not budge. He smiled proudly. "Nice suggestion!" He hurried to the window, removed his Swiss Army knife from his pocket, and began scrapping off the paint.

Seconds later, loud footsteps stomped up the stairs. The doorknob jiggled, but would not open. "Hey, Phil! They're in here!" Jim called as he tried to force the door open.

"MacGyver! This door won't hold for long!" Kaela said quickly.

Mac quickly snapped the blade back in place and tried to open the window. Thankfully, it cooperated! "Kaela, come on!" he called to her, fitting himself through the window. Kaela grabbed her oboe case from the floor and hurried over to him and passed the case to him quickly. He placed it on the grating of the fire escape, helped Kaela through, and hurried down the grated stairs, with Kaela close behind, her oboe case firmly in hand. The pursuers broke through the door, and Kaela squealed when she heard the shattering of the wood. The two hurried down the stairs and made a run for it as soon as they reached the ground.

"There they go!" Jim said when he looked out of the window. He drew his weapon and began firing. MacGyver quickly wrapped his arm around Kaela's shoulders to protect her as they ran.

"Jim, put that gun down! They're too far away to hit!" Phil said as he ran over to the window. "It doesn't matter anyway. I know where she's going to be tomorrow night," he said, holding up Kaela's purse -- she had accidentally left it in the car during the action. He pulled out a slip of paper, which advertised the performance. The two smirked like two wolves about to move in on a kill. They had her.

The door to MacGyver's hotel room opened, and the light was flipped on. Exhausted, Kaela and Mac entered and both all but fell on the floor. Kaela set her oboe case on the bed and then plopped herself next to it. Mac walked over to the chair and nearly threw himself in it.

"I thought we'd never make it back!" Kaela said out loud, more to herself.

_I'm getting too old for this!_ Mac said to himself.

Suddenly, there was a pounding on the adjoining door. "Dad? Is that you?" Sam asked, nearly frantic. Mac sort of whined as he got up from his nice, comfortable chair and went over to the door. Sam entered quickly once his father had opened it. "Where on earth have you two been? I have been looking for you for hours!" Sam asked, sounding a little like a worried father.

"Well, about two hours after you left, Kaela insisted on going to her performance, and I accompanied her. When it was over and we were driving back here, the guys in the pictures ran us off the road. They chased us, but we managed to get away. Since the car was such a mess, we had to walk the whole way home. We tried to get a cab, but trying to get one here is like trying to get one in L.A., only worse!" MacGyver explained to his son.

"All right, that's it! We need to call the police," Sam said strongly. "Next time, one of you could get killed!"

Mac smiled at his son's insistence. He was reminded of himself at that age.

"But my performance is in less than 24 hours," Kaela said pleadingly, sitting up quickly.

"I agree with Sam, Kaela. We need to call the police," Mac said assuredly.

She looked into Mac's eyes and knew it was right. "All right," she said, dropping her head.

"Good. I'll call," Sam said as he picked up the phone.

Kaela picked up her case. She stood up and walked toward the door as Sam was on the phone.

"Kaela, where are you going?" Mac asked gently.

"Back to my room to think about things," she said.

"Are you okay?" he asked while walking over to her.

"No," she replied. "But I will be after some rest." She exited the room and went across the hall to her own.

"Okay. Thanks," Sam said into the phone, then hung it up. "I couldn't get through. They were too busy; I'll try again later. Is Kaela okay?"

"She will be, I hope. For now, let's just let her rest," Mac replied.

Suddenly, a scream came from Kaela's room. MacGyver and Sam did not hesitate as they ran to see what had happened. "Kaela?" Mac yelled as he threw the door open. He saw her standing near the far wall of the room, holding up her case as though she was ready to hit someone.

"MacGyver, don't let him come near me!" she said.

"_Him_?" MacGyver questioned as he slowly walked into the room, with Sam following. As the bed came into view, he saw a man sprawled atop it with his hands up in the air, in clear view. "What's going on?"

"He was going through my things when I walked in," Kaela said, still holding her case.

"Who are you? What were you looking for?" Mac addressed the stranger.

"My name is Alex Canter. I think you have something that belongs to me," he said, hands still in the air.

"What might that be?" Sam asked.

"Some... pictures," he said.

"Pictures? What kind of pictures?" Kaela asked, suspecting that he was talking about the ones of Larsen.

"Some pictures that prove that a man was not where he said he was when a crime was committed. I need them back so I can take them to the authorities or this man will get away with murder!"

"Bartholomew Larsen?" Mac questioned.

"Uh... yes," he answered, a little surprised to hear the name. "How did you know?"

"A man with a gun was in here earlier and almost killed Kaela. We found the pictures in her case and figured that they were what he was after. It didn't take us long to figure out what was in them," Mac explained. "We just now got back to the hotel after being chased across half the city!"

Canter looked over at Kaela and noticed the bandage on her forehead. "Oh, no. This was not supposed to happen. No one was supposed to get hurt. You have to believe me! I didn't think anyone had seen where I stashed the envelope," he pleaded to her.

By his tone, she could tell that he meant it. Ever so slowly, she lowered her case, and Canter, in turn, lowered his hands.

"What part do you play in all of this?" Sam asked him.

"I'm a reporter. It's not a big secret that Larsen is into some very illegal activities, so I was following him to see if I could catch him in the act. I was taking pictures of what I thought was a drug deal or something when he pulled out a gun and killed the man he was talking to! I got _way _more that I bargained for!" Canter explained. "Unfortunately, one of Larsen's thugs saw me and chased me. I got away and was able to get the film developed. A few days later, after Larsen had already been arrested and released, I was on my way to meet a contact at the airport -- so he could turn in the pictures while I stayed low -- when Larsen's goons found me. I had to get rid of the pictures, or they would have caught me and gotten them back. Larsen would have gotten away, Scot free, and I would probably be dead!"

"You're a brave man, Mr. Canter," MacGyver said to him, realizing how much he had gone through to let the truth be known.

"What's our next move?" Sam asked.

"If you still have the pictures, I think we should call the police," Canter suggested.

"I just tried. There's no one available," Sam replied.

"Right now, I just need some aspirin!" Kaela said out loud. She looked around, seeming confused. "Where's my purse?"

Mac's eyes widened. "Uh, oh. I think it got left in the rental car."

"Awe, man!" Kaela said a little above a whisper. Mac could not help but grin at the use of one of his favorite phrases. "Wait a minute. Do you think the guys who were chasing us found my purse?"

"Possibly. Why?" Mac said.

"There was an announcement of my performance in it! If they find it, they know exactly where I'll be tomorrow," Kaela explained frantically.

"Now you can't possibly perform!" Sam said.

"Whoa, wait a minute. I just got an idea. If these bad guys are anything like I think they are, they found that announcement. We can use that to our advantage, but," Mac said, then stopped.

"But? But what?" Kaela urged him to continue.

"It'll mean putting you in danger, Kaela," Mac said looking at her with worry in his eyes.

"It's my decision, right?" Kaela asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Tell me what I have to do," she replied simply.

_THE NEXT DAY, FIVE MINUTES BEFORE BEGINNING OF PERFORMANCE..._

"Kaela," MacGyver said to get her attention as she made her way backstage to wait for her time to be on stage.

"Yes?" she said, stopping to talk with him.

"Are you prepared for everything?" he asked.

"Do you want the truth?" she asked back.

"Don't worry. You'll do fine, and I'll make sure everything goes as planned," he assured her. "Good luck out there."

"Thanks," she said smiling as she went to wait with the other oboe player. MacGyver made his way to his seat next to Sam.

"Everything set?" his son asked.

"I sure hope so," he answered. "Don't forget that Kaela said she won't be on stage for a while. If the _guests _show up, they may make their move early." Sam nodded in understanding.

Soon, the performance started. MacGyver and Sam tried to enjoy it as best they could while keeping a watch out for any of the bad guys. Suddenly, two familiar bodies entered a side door -- opposite from Mac and Sam -- and seated themselves.

"Sam," MacGyver nudged his son, "there they are."

"I guess now we wait for them to make their move," Sam said.

MacGyver watched them carefully. Not long after coming through the doors, the two nonchalantly got up and proceeded down the long, narrow passageway to backstage. Mac had hoped that they would not notice that Kaela was not on stage so soon after arriving, but no such luck. "Awe, man. They're making their move already." Both father and son got up from their seats as politely as possible and hurried after the two men.

As Phil and Jim turned the corner backstage, they spotted Kaela standing next to the other oboist, Shawn, both with oboes in hand. They were just off stage right, peering at the audience from the edge of the curtain that shielded the back wall of the stage. Kaela patted the butterfly bandages on her forehead to make sure they were secure.

"How's your head?" Shawn asked.

"Fine. I just wish I didn't have to wear these things," she replied.

"Pretty nice turnout," Shawn said as he looked into the audience.

"Yeah," she replied. "Are you nervous?"

He paused for a moment. "Uh... kinda."

"Me, too," she said back. No matter how many performances she did, the nervousness was always there. "But I'm sure we'll do just fine, as usual."

"Well, isn't this a cute sight," a voice came from behind them. The two musicians turned around quickly to find Phil and Jim, both with guns aimed at them.

Kaela was petrified and almost dropped her oboe. Shawn saw the look on her face. "Are these the guys who've been giving you so much trouble?"

"Yes," she replied, then turned her attention to the bad guys. "Why won't you just leave me alone?"

"Because we want that case! You've managed to get away from us twice, but not this time. Give it up or you die right now... both of you," Phil said.

"Shawn has no part in this. You leave him alone!" Kaela retorted.

"The case, then." Suddenly, the performers on stage began the climactic section of the musical piece. "Well, what timing," Phil said. "Nice and loud. No one will hear the shots."

"Okay, okay!" Kaela surrendered. It was enough that she was in this mess, but now they were threatening Shawn. She bent down to place her oboe on the floor in fear of it being damaged; Shawn did the same.

"Move," Phil commanded, motioning his gun for her to get the case. Reluctantly, she turned and began walking, with Shawn close to her side.

"All right, drop it!" MacGyver yelled as he grabbed Jim and put something to his back. Jim dropped his weapon without hesitation. "Let them go or he gets it!"

"MacGyver!" Kaela said, almost in surprise, as she, Shawn, and Phil whirled around.

"Come on, Phil! Do something! He's going to shoot me!" Jim pleaded.

"You don't really think I'm gonna believe that you'll shot him, do you? I've seen you in action and can tell that you are one of those good guys. It's not in your nature to harm anyone, even guys like us," Phil said, trying to stop himself from chuckling.

He was right. Mac couldn't hurt Jim, especially since the _gun_ he had to his back was really a timpani mallet! Sam quickly picked up Jim's gun and aimed it at Phil. "Well, it's no problem for me," he bluffed. He was just like his father in that he could scarcely hurt a fly.

"Okay, okay. I give up," he said, lowering his weapon.

"On the floor," Sam said, motioning for him to drop the gun. Phil contemplated resisting, but decided to do as Sam commanded.

"Kaela, Shawn," Mac said, the tone telling them to back away from Phil and come to his side. The two got the message and ever so slowly began walking over to him. Phil wasn't going to stand for this. He was not about to be outdone by an 18-year-old girl and some do-gooder. Right when Kaela was close enough to him, he reached over and grabbed her, pulling her close and wrapping his large arm around her small neck. She yelped, but no one on stage could hear her due to the music.

"I may not have my gun, but I could still break her neck like a twig," he threatened. MacGyver and Sam were horrified. There was no doubt that he would really do it. "Let him go." They were hesitant to release Jim. Would he really let her go if they did as he commanded? After a short but hard deliberation, Sam lowered the gun, and Mac took the mallet from Jim's back.

Shawn was tired of these men threatening Kaela. He didn't take too kindly to his own life being threatened, either. He looked around for something he could use as a weapon, but all he found were various drums, cymbals, and other percussion instruments. It was against his nature to damage, much less destroy _any _musical instrument, but this was serious. He worked up his nerve and quickly grabbed a snare drum, lifting it over Phil's head. With all his might, he brought it down. The drumhead split as it smashed into Phil hard head, making the man go cross-eyed. He quickly let loose of Kaela and crumbled to the floor. Seeing the man out cold, Sam quickly raised the weapon and warned Jim not to try anything. Looking at how Phil was taken out, he stayed as still as a totem pole.

The performers on stage concluded their piece. The audience cheered. Wonderful timing.

Kaela looked down at the man, wondering what happened. She looked over at Shawn and saw the mangled drum in his hands. He was a little dismayed by what he had done. She quickly wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you!"

"No problem," he said, still dismayed, but happy everything worked out.

"Kaela, you okay?" MacGyver asked as he hurried over to her.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine," she assured. "But I don't know how I'm going to calm down before I go out on stage!"

"What? You're not seriously planning to still perform, are you?" Mac asked, baffled.

"We have to. It's our job," she said, looking at Shawn.

"The main orchestra just finished. We have about five minutes before we have to be out there," Shawn said to her.

"We'd better hurry!" she said, then they both hurried off.

"Those are two dedicated musicians," Sam commented as he stood next to his father. MacGyver couldn't find the words to say it any better. He just watched and smiled as the two went off.

_LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 2002_

"I _still _can't believe she and Shawn still went on stage after we finally took out the bad guys!" Sam uttered, tearing MacGyver from his memories.

"Yeah. Very dedicated," he said back.

"So, are you going to call her or are you going to just stand there with the phone in your hand?" Sam asked playfully.

"Oh, hush up," Mac replied as he dialed.

His nerves tensed more and more as the phone rang, urging someone on the other end to pick it up. "Hello?" a soft voice finally said.

Mac nearly jumped. "Oh, hello. Is this Kaela Sloan?'

"Yes. May I ask who's calling?"

"Uh, I know it's been a long time, but you couldn't have forgotten me in just eight years," he said.

"M-MacGyver, is that you?" she asked excitedly. He smiled at her excitement.

"Uh, I got your invitation in the mail today," he said. "I was just calling to tell you that I wouldn't miss it for the world." Sam cleared his throat to get his father's attention. "Sam, too," he added.

"That is the best news I've had all day. I'm so glad you can come!" she said. "Oh, there will be time to meet all of the musicians backstage an hour before the performance. I would very much like to see you and Sam then, if I could."

"That sounds wonderful," he replied, smiling. "So, I guess we'll see you on the 17th."

"I'm looking forward to it," she said. Somehow, her words seemed to smile.

"Me, too," he said finally before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.

_MAY 17, 2002_

MacGyver and Sam walked into the concert hall. It was not all that different from the one in Florida where they had last seen Kaela perform. "Kaela said she'd be backstage," Mac told his son. As the two turned the corner to the area behind the stage, the sound of many people talking found its way to MacGyver's ears. It seemed that many of the musicians' supporters had come backstage to wish the performers luck. MacGyver looked around for Kaela, but it had been eight years since he saw her last; he didn't quite know what he was looking for. Suddenly, he saw a young woman -- who was engaged in conversation with someone -- that could only be her. Her hair was different and she was older, but it was Kaela. There was no mistaking that China Doll face. Mac nudged Sam with his elbow and gestured toward her. Just as they got up enough nerve to walk over to her, she turned in their direction. Her face lit up when she recognized them. She pardoned herself from the person she was talking with and hurried over to them.

"I'm so glad you made it!" she said as she wrapped her arms around MacGyver, then Sam.

"I can't believe how much you've chanced," MacGyver said, as he looked her over.

"Well, yes, a few things have chanced," she said, holding up her left hand. A stunning diamond ring and wedding band adorned her third finger.

"Congratulations! Who's the lucky guy?" Mac asked.

"Do you remember Shawn?"

"Yeah," he replied as he smiled. "Him, huh?"

"Yes. It happened last year. I kept my last name because of our careers," she said smiling back. "We would have invited you to the wedding, but it was held in Maine, and I didn't want you to have to travel that far."

Mac just shrugged in understanding. Soon Shawn came over. He had changed, too. "Hello, MacGyver, Sam," he said, shaking their hands respectively. "I'm glad you two could make it."

"Glad to be here," Sam said.

"Honey, we have about half an hour before the performance starts, so we need to get ready," Shawn said to Kaela.

"Okay, I'll be along in a second," she said before he walked away.

She turned back to MacGyver and Sam and smiled. "It's _really _nice to see you both again. I have to go, but I hope we can talk again after the concert," she said smiling. She hugged them both again. "Thank you so much for what you did for me. I owe you so much; I don't know what to say."

"Just do well out there, and that will be enough," Mac said, smiling back. She took his hand and gently shook it as she moved away.

As MacGyver watched her walk away, his mind drifted back to when she had last left him...

_INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN MIAMI, FLORIDA..._

The concert had come and gone, just like the last day of Kaela's stay in Miami. She had all of her belongings and her ticket home so she checked her luggage. As she was about to get on the plane she saw two familiar faces waiting for her at her Gate.

"You two didn't have to see me off," she said as she approached MacGyver and Sam.

"Of course we did. For one thing, you couldn't leave without saying goodbye. And we have news for you: Bartholomew Larsen was arrested again, but this time he won't be making bail. Those pictures are going to put him and his goons away for a long time. I think you're out of danger. You might have to testify about the charges on the attempts on your life, but Mr. Canter said he would try his best to keep you out of it. He knows you've been through a lot."

"Oh, good. Thank him for me if you see him again. And thank you, too. It's almost like you two were sent to help. I'd hate to think how this might have turned out without your help. I owe you my life," she said, her eyes starting to fill with tears.

MacGyver wrapped his arms around her quickly. She dropped her carry-on bag to hug him tightly. "You take care of yourself," Mac said to her softly.

"I will," she said, trying to compose herself.

"Hey, don't I get a hug, too?" Sam joked.

Kaela chuckled as she wrapped her arms around Sam. "Goodbye, you two. Take care."

"We will, don't worry," Sam said back.

"Well. I'd better board the plane and find my seat." She picked up her carry-on and walked over to the tunnel. As she turned and waved, father and son waved back. "I'll miss you both," she whispered to them. Mac smiled, and she was sure that he had somehow heard her. With a few steps, she disappeared down the tunnel.

_LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 2002_

"Dad," Sam said as he waved his hand in front of his father's face, which brought MacGyver back to the present. "Earth to Dad. We'd better go in now if we want to get good seats."

"Oh. Sure. Lead the way," Mac replied. Father and son walked side-by-side into the concert hall. It was going to be a performance that they would very much enjoy.

**THE END**


End file.
